A. It depends. Noise-cancelling headphones use active technology to play unique frequencies that block outside noises, and depending on which model you buy, the battery can last anywhere from 15 to 40 hours. If you’re using a set of wireless headphones, the battery will be used for both noise cancellation and wireless connectivity, so expect the battery to deplete faster if you’re using both.
However, most people won’t be able to hear the difference if they’re older than 24, have some form of noise-induced hearing loss, or are in the presence of outside noise. For this reason, we recommend wireless Bluetooth headphones for those commuting, or in noisy situations. If you’re listening primarily at home at the computer—get a set of wired headphones.
Despite big promises from Bluetooth’s only Hi-res codec, the standard doesn’t really deliver at best, and it falls far short with its basic 330kbps setting. Both the 660kbps and 990kbps connections offer decent quality, but the 330kbps setting has a lot of noise—and a comparatively poor frequency response with higher-def content. You probably won’t hear it, but it definitely falls short of the marketing.
Earbud-style headphones range from the disposable models you get on a plane to the ones that are included with your smartphone to high-performance buds that offer sonics rivaling full-size models. Their tiny earpieces rest on the outer ear or need to be inserted into the ear canal, and some models, particularly sport buds, include wings or fins for a more tailored, secure fit.

Will Greenwald has been covering consumer technology for a decade, and has served on the editorial staffs of CNET.com, Sound & Vision, and Maximum PC. His work and analysis has been seen in GamePro, Tested.com, Geek.com, and several other publications. He currently covers consumer electronics in the PC Labs as the in-house home entertainment expert, reviewing TVs, media hubs, speakers, headphones, and gaming accessories. Will is also an ISF Level II-certified TV calibrator, which ensures the thoroughness and accuracy of all PCMag TV reviews.

There’s a lot of debate in the headphone world about wireless audio. Wireless standards like Bluetooth are capable of making music sound great, but because Bluetooth relies on data compression, it will never sound quite as good as a wired connection. The big question is, with the improvements in Bluetooth, can anyone tell the difference anymore between Bluetooth audio and wired audio? We’re skeptical that the difference is meaningful, so here’s our best advice: if you’re an audiophile who cares about hearing music in high fidelity, you’ll probably be better off with a set of wired headphones; if you need everything to sound great but prefer the convenience of wireless connections, go for a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
Garbage in = Garbage out (GIGO) is a popular phrase used to emphasize the importance of a good source. This can be the soundcard in your laptop, the quality of your portable audio player, or the CD player you’re using for music listening. Those fall into the “Source” category. The better your source is, the better the sound will be at the headphone end. This is why we are seeing more and more audiophile digital audio players (audiophile DAPs). They are expensive but they sound good.
I’ve never enjoyed the audio quality of Bluetooth headphones, but that’s just me. The sound is better than it ever has been, and it’ll get you 90% of the way there—but not everybody is willing to make that tradeoff. Since USB-C headphones have largely ceded their market advantages over Bluetooth, we have to examine the consumer audio technology’s performance in a world where the headphone jack is disappearing.
Be sure to assess the build quality of your prospective headphones. Some earbuds and portable devices are relatively fragile, for instance. If the headphones fold up for easy storage, are the hinges robust, or will they fall apart in a month or two? Don't forget to consider that the earpads and earbuds will get extensive wear and tear over the life of the headphones.
Released in 2017, the Bose SoundWear Companion is a different kind of wireless headset. It doesn’t have any earcups or earbuds, but instead it sits around your neck adn has speakers that shoot sound up towards your ear — it’s essentially a portable speaker that sits around your neck. It’s water-resistant, so you can technically work out while wearing it, but it’s really designed for the person who works at home. It’s comfortable enough to wear for lengthy periods of time, but it also has excellent built-in microphones and works great as a speakerphone.
Expensive: Audiophile-grade headphones can cost anywhere between $130 and $2,000. Headphones in this price bracket are no joke: they create impressive soundscapes, are robust enough for use in a recording studio, and they’re just plain beautiful. If you need a pair of headphones for critical listening, or you simply want the best headphones around, it’ll cost you.
The FiiO E17 “Alpin” + AIAIAI TMA-1 or Pro700 Mk2 seem like a mix you’d recommend, but I’m concerned those cans will be uncomfortable for day-long use. Also I don’t know if that DAC/amp is the best for my style of music/headphones. Third, some of my techno tracks have stunning vocals, and I don’t want to miss out on those high notes while enjoying the bass.
If you want headphones for gaming or watching movies, get some that support multi-channel surround sound. Some high-end headphones include technology that simulates surround sound, so sound effects feel like they’re coming from different directions. These headphones do a surprisingly good job at replicating the home theater experience and create an immersive experience for listeners. If you’re into big-budget blockbusters or first-person shooters and don’t have the room for a full-blown surround sound system, go for the next best thing and get headphones that support multi-channel audio.
The Earbuds 500 won’t be available until early 2020, but they might just be worth waiting for. They look to be the natural successor to the SoundSport Free, the company’s first go at truly wireless earbuds, but probably better in every way. The Earbuds 500 will likely have a longer battery life, a smaller charging case and charge via USB-C. They will be sport-focused, too, and a more affordable option to the company’s other new-age wireless earbuds, the Noise Cancelling Earbuds 700.
Dale: There are so many types of amplifiers (and DAC’s with amplifiers) that there is no shortcut for studying all of the options, unless you settle for the most generic approach. Important things to consider are power – if you don’t have enough power for your headphone and the dynamics in the music, clipping will result. Sometimes the clipping is “soft” and not readily noticed, but eventually you would discover that much of the detail goes missing or gets veiled with limited dynamics. Another consideration is whether to use a DAC, which may be a separate DAC or built into the same enclosure as the amp. Most DACs will improve the sound over the DACs that are built into computers, but when a DAC is available to replace the DAC built into most cellphones and low to mid-priced music players, you can usually expect a much greater improvement.

Hi. I have more or less decided that the Philips Fidelio L1s are the ones for me. I plan to use them on my commute paired with an iPhone or the iPad as the source. I listen to a mix of pop, rock, blues and jazz so I’m not after boosting bass but I might want to fiddle with the dial on the treble and mids. Which brings me to my question. You state in your review that the L2s pair well with the Fiio e17 which lets you independently adjust treble and bass. Could the same effect be achieved lower down the $$ curve via a combination of say a Fiio E6 (for signal amplification) and a Dirac or Accudio app for equalisation?

The Galaxy Buds produce exemplary audio quality packed into a pair of unobtrusive earpieces, complete with easy-to-use touch controls for playback, volume, and skipping tracks. According to Samsung, they have a 6-hour battery life and come with a powered carrying case that will recharge the earphones for up to 7 additional hours of playback on the go. The case itself can be charged with a wireless charging mat, and it’s particularly small compared with the cases that come with many true wireless models.
A. Near-field communication, better known as NFC, is a wireless connectivity protocol similar to Bluetooth. NFC uses less power than Bluetooth and is faster when pairing devices, but it only has a range of about four inches. Some headphones use NFC technology to drive the process of pairing headphones with smartphones, but because of the range, it’s not used to transmit sound. While both Android phones and iPhones include NFC chips, it’s not accessible in Apple devices, so if you want a pair of headphones with NFC, you’ll need to own an Android phone to take advantage of the faster pairing.

For older models of telephones, the headset microphone impedance is different from that of the original handset, requiring a telephone amplifier for the telephone headset. A telephone amplifier provides basic pin-alignment similar to a telephone headset adaptor, but it also offers sound amplification for the microphone as well as the loudspeakers. Most models of telephone amplifiers offer volume control for loudspeaker as well as microphone, mute function and switching between headset and handset. Telephone amplifiers are powered by batteries or AC adaptors.

Impedance: Generally speaking, the lower the headphones' electrical impedance (aka resistance), the easier it is to get higher volume. But here again, the low impedance is no guarantee of high volume capability; other factors can still limit loudness potential. Since many MP3 players have feeble power output -- the iPod is a notable exception -- smart shoppers should check the loudness before purchasing any pair of headphones. To be sure, listen with your player.
Be sure to assess the build quality of your prospective headphones. Some earbuds and portable devices are relatively fragile, for instance. If the headphones fold up for easy storage, are the hinges robust, or will they fall apart in a month or two? Don't forget to consider that the earpads and earbuds will get extensive wear and tear over the life of the headphones.
One thing I suggest to prospective customers for a specific headphone, if I have that headphone on hand, is for them to suggest 2 or 3 music tracks by a particular artist and composer that I can sample on that headphone, not so much for me to suggest how it sounds, but mostly to check if that headphone has any real sonic issues with that music. For example, a headphone that’s ideal for classical and acoustic music might sound too harsh with metal and industrial goth.
Electrostatic drivers consist of a thin, electrically charged diaphragm, typically a coated PET film membrane, suspended between two perforated metal plates (electrodes). The electrical sound signal is applied to the electrodes creating an electrical field; depending on the polarity of this field, the diaphragm is drawn towards one of the plates. Air is forced through the perforations; combined with a continuously changing electrical signal driving the membrane, a sound wave is generated. Electrostatic headphones are usually more expensive than moving-coil ones, and are comparatively uncommon. In addition, a special amplifier is required to amplify the signal to deflect the membrane, which often requires electrical potentials in the range of 100 to 1000 volts.

No matter what type of headphones you want, you can't go wrong with any of the options here. That said, you don't need to spend top dollar for a quality pair of cans. If you're shopping on a budget, take a look at our picks for The Best Headphones Under $50. And once you've found the right pair, check out our 5 Easy Tips to Extend the Life of Your Headphones and 6 Ways You're Using Your Headphones Wrong.

Headphones can prevent other people from hearing the sound, either for privacy or to prevent disturbing others, as in listening in a public library. They can also provide a level of sound fidelity greater than loudspeakers of similar cost. Part of their ability to do so comes from the lack of any need to perform room correction treatments with headphones. High-quality headphones can have an extremely flat low-frequency response down to 20 Hz within 3 dB. While a loudspeaker must use a relatively large (often 15" or 18") speaker driver to reproduce low frequencies, headphones can accurately reproduce bass and sub-bass frequencies with speaker drivers only 40-50 millimeters wide (or much smaller, as is the case with in-ear monitor headphones). Headphones' impressive low-frequency performance is possible because they are so much closer to the ear that they only need to move relatively small volumes of air.
In the professional audio sector, headphones are used in live situations by disc jockeys with a DJ mixer, and sound engineers for monitoring signal sources. In radio studios, DJs use a pair of headphones when talking to the microphone while the speakers are turned off to eliminate acoustic feedback while monitoring their own voice. In studio recordings, musicians and singers use headphones to play or sing along to a backing track or band. In military applications, audio signals of many varieties are monitored using headphones.